Eastern Tech football coach Marc Mesaros gets 100th career victory

When Eastern Tech football coach Marc Mesaros earned his 100th career victory Friday, he was more thrilled with the way his team played in its 51-7 win over Pikesville.

The Mavericks, however, were more interested in the milestone, presenting Mesaros a football with "100" written on it.

"All the kids signed it, and they had a big announcement at the end of the game. The kids dumped water on me," Mesaros said with a laugh. "It was a very nice show of affection and respect.

"The 100-win thing is great. My father was down [from Pennsylvania], and he was really excited for me, and I think the kids were really jacked up for it, but at the end of the day, it's all about the team winning."

In 12 seasons with the Mavericks, Mesaros has compiled a 100-35 record and guided Eastern Tech to the Class 2A state championship in 2009 after two years of falling in the title game. In the last seven years, the Mavericks have been to states four times.

Mesaros played high school football in Farrell, Pa., a town 60 miles northwest of Pittsburgh that he said was like "living in a Bruce Springsteen song." A lineman in high school, he ran track in college at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

After taking the Mavericks to the 2A championship with a 13-1 record in 2009, they returned to the state final in 2010 but fell to Middletown. They haven't had a winning season since, but they've started this fall 4-0.

"In 12 seasons, you get your ups and downs, but overall it's been pretty good," he said. "It's a testament to the type of kids we get. Even when we've had some rough seasons, they've been great kids, and it's been a pleasure to coach them."

This season, the Mavericks have gotten off to a strong start, outscoring the opposition, 165-42, with a veteran team. Strong line play drives a running game that has gained 1,289 yards, with four players rushing for more than 200, led by Ian McBurrough's 268 yards.

The defensive line is also veteran and three linebackers returned to the starting lineup. That experience has helped the Mavericks limit the opposition to 10.1 points per game, down from 23 last season.

The Mavericks are aiming for the playoffs for the first time since 2010 and the first time since any of these players arrived in high school. For Mesaros, the 100th win would look best if he can help his players achieve their postseason goals.

"You put [100 wins] in perspective like my old boss [Patterson and Poly coach] Roger Wrenn had 285, and I don't know how many [City coach] George Petrides has [255], so in the grand scheme of things, it was a very nice achievement," Mesaros said, "but I'm more happy that we're playing well and having some success."